


Tim Finds a Pokemon

by FlOrangey



Series: Adventures in Ryme City [1]
Category: POKÉMON Detective Pikachu (2019)
Genre: Dysfunctional Family, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Gen, Takes place after the movie and as such includes spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-05
Updated: 2019-06-05
Packaged: 2020-04-08 02:54:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19098310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlOrangey/pseuds/FlOrangey
Summary: After living in Ryme City for a few weeks, Tim has warmed up to the idea of finding a pokemon partner, so Lucy drags him around to find it.





	Tim Finds a Pokemon

"So the moment I say the dreaded 'P' word, the entire station just explodes," Lucy said, flexing her fingers to emphasize her statement and almost knocking over the glass of water Tim had given her. "Phone calls, complaints in the comments section when the article was posted online. Someone even went out of there way to find and link my personal blog!"

Tim was quiet, listening as Lucy ranted on about what she described as 'twelve hours of disaster' she had been experiencing ever since she announced Roger Clifford's plans for Ryme City. "It sounds like a mess..."

"Understatement. Look at this." Lucy held her pokegear up and brought up her blog. She then scrolled down to the comments section of a random post she made that just at a glance looked irrelevant. She held it up for him and his eyes scanned the messages, his face twisting as he did. The last one made him look at her, then back at the wording.

“I don’t think it’s possible to bend that way.”

Lucy slammed her pokegear on the table, startling him and her ever-present Psyduck, who was sitting next to her. “It’s not.” She sighed and buried her face in her hands. Psyduck put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Tim reached out to do the same, but then stopped himself, not wanting to make the scene in the kitchen more awkward than it already was.

Eventually, Lucy took a deep breath and let it out, letting her hands rest on the table. “Look, it’s not like I get why people are upset. This whole plan goes against everything that Ryme City represents. I’ve heard Roger Clifford's advisors have been pushing him to recant his statements, but surprise, he's not budging." She huffed, “whole thing is a mess.”

Tim made a face, trying to put his thoughts together on the situation. Roger Clifford had a long list of ideas to - in his words - ‘improve the infrastructure of Ryme City. Among the ones Lucy had read last evening, the main point of contention was the announcement that revisions were being made to Ryme City’s ‘Pokeball Carry Police’. The revisions were planned to be rolled out at the beginning of the next month, with the changes claiming to 'aid in building the relationships between people and pokemon, including better accommodation to trainers visiting the city, as well as those with larger pokemon who can not travel to more congested areas by typical means.'

Between the headline on one of the newspapers Harry had been reading while drinking what Tim hoped, but doubted, was his first cup of coffee that morning, and Lucy's story, it was clear the general public had other opinions. ‘Dastardly Son Threatens Principles of Ryme City’ was a headline that would sell a lot of papers. So would the more blatant 'Clifford begins Pokemon Slavery’ on a tabloid having a field day.

Tim finally sighed and just placed his thoughts. “It sucks," He said, "but I don’t get why everyone’s making a big deal out of this whole thing. It's just a pokeball.”

“Psyduck?” Psyduck looked at him as Lucy rubbed his temples.

“It’s not ‘just a pokeball’. Well, it is, but it’s more about preserving the principles of Ryme City. You do know why this city was built in the first place right? To-"

"-Celebrate the harmonious relationship between humans and pokemon." Tim finished. "I saw the video on the train."

"And you know what the word 'harmonious' means, right?"

Tim opened his mouth to answer but was cut off when another person entered the room.

“Harmonious. Adjective. Means forming a pleasing or consistent whole.” Harry said, voice light, but fatigued, as he approached the table and leaned against it. “Can also mean ‘free from disagreement or dissent.’ For example, this kitchen does not sound harmonious. It actually sounds a little hostile. And very loud.” He turned to Lucy’s Psyduck and waved to it, “Hi Psyduck!”

Psyduck returned the greeting with a wave of his own and Tim tried to hide the grin on his face as Lucy calmed down. “Sorry if I disturbed you, Mr. Goodman.” She said. Harry gave her a reassuring smile and straightened.

“You're fine.” He straightened and crossed the kitchen and poured himself a fresh cup of coffee. “I couldn’t help but overhear. Sorry you’re dealing with that kind of harassment. You don't deserve to be shot for just being the messenger.”

“Uh, thanks?” Lucy said, unsure how to take the older man’s comment. “What about you Mr. Goodman? Being a detective you do a lot with Pokemon, so you have to have some thoughts on it.”

Harry paused to down half his cup of coffee, before answering. “Well, I wouldn’t be spending a lot of time searching for squirtle and pancham.” He chuckled. Tim couldn't help but notice how dark his eyes were and how pale his face was, as well as his hand twitch.

“Dad, did you get any sleep last night?” His question went ignored as Harry thought something over and continued to speak to Lucy.

“So, I’m just saying this off the record. You’re right, I do work with a lot of pokemon. I work with their partners and if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that there are people that, much as they love their pokemon, are terrible at keeping an eye on them. And yes larger pokemon can’t even get into doors because of their large size. Pokeballs could go a long way to making things easier. Or at least my job easier.” He took another sip of his coffee, his hands jittering as he did.

“But it could make it harder for us to investigate the underground fight circuits. You know, it’s actually really hilarious how this is the thing everyone gets up in arms about. Pokemon battles have also been illegal in the city for the last decade, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone get upset about those. Illegal battles? No one cares. But a simple red and white ball has everyone declaring the end of a city.” He took a deep breath and shook his head. “Am I really the only one that finds that funny?”

“Dad, how many of those have you had today?” Tim's question got Harry to look at him. He blinked a few times, his hand twitching as he looked down at his coffee cup, then made a face that answered Tim's question without actually answering it. "Dad!"

“I know it looks bad - and it kinda is - but I’m really tired right now,” Harry told him. Tim rolled his eyes, getting a retort, “Don’t give me that look. Pikachu got plenty of sleep.”

"Good for Pikachu." His father wasn’t lying. He saw the small pokemon curled up in a bright blue blanket, sound asleep while Harry climbed over him to pin some things to his corkboard. “Maybe, instead of trying to get your heart beating as fast as your partner, a nap might be a better idea?"

“Tempting, but I have to meet Hideo to talk about some things. And I have to go...” he looked at the time, “now! Excuse me!”

Harry left the kitchen and Tim sighed. His father was wired and he would not be surprised if he came back in a few hours and crashed. He turned back to Lucy, who had her hand to her chin, deep in thought. “He has a point. There's lots of big pokemon in the city. But I don't have a pokemon partner so maybe I’m not the best person to talk to about this?"

Lucy looked up at him, "Speaking of, didn't you say you were looking for one? A Pokemon."

“Psy-psy.” Psyduck nodded in agreement as Tim answered.

“I am. I thought I was getting lucky with a poochyena last week.” Lucy’s eyebrow shot up and she leaned a bit closer to him as though hoping for some good news. “Its mom showed up. She didn’t like me.”

The disappointment on his friend's face was clear, and in truth, Tim could not help but feel a little disappointed in himself. It had been slow at first, but he was beginning to enjoy being around Pokemon again. Between spending time with his father and Pikachu and his trips around the city he was starting to feel like he was ready to find his own partner. How to find one though, he found himself at a loss on. His father had been enthusiastic, but unhelpful, being vague about how he and Pikachu became partners before praising Tim’s intellect and assuring him he’d figure it out. He tried calling Jack and was told the same thing his friend had told him when they were trying to catch him that cubone.

His father knocking on the doorframe of the kitchen snapped him out of his thoughts. "Hey, I'm heading out now." He said. Pikachu came out from behind him. "Pikachu's coming too."

“Pika pika!” Pikachu chirped, ears twitching with energy. Tim saw a smile on Harry’s face as he looked at the pokemon, which was interrupted by him covering his mouth to hide a yawn. He then looked at them.

“So uh, you two have a good time and...yeah take care. Bye.”

He took off for the main door of the apartment and Tim hurried out of the kitchen. “Dad!” He said as Harry put on his jacket. “Dad, I really think you should stay home. Please?”

His father stopped for a moment, then finished putting on his coat, before looking at Tim. “If this break goes how I hope it will, I’ll head straight home. No detours, I’ll take that nap you want me too, and you have my undivided attention for the evening.”

“You sure?” Tim asked. His father grinned.

“Promise.” He said. “Unless you want Lucy’s undivided attention in which case, just put a sock on your door and I’ll make myself scarce.”

It took Tim a second to process that last statement and when he did he shook his head. “What? No. Just...ew!” He watched as Harry tried to and failed to hold back a laugh and hoped Lucy hadn't heard any of the conversation. "You got no chill dad."

“I have no idea what that means.” He said, then grunted as Pikachu suddenly jumped up, paws gripping his jacket, and climbed onto his shoulder. “You really like being up there don’t you little guy.”

“Pika pika! Pikachu!” Pikachu’s happy face said more than enough. Harry then looked at Tim and after some hesitation, held his arms out.

“Come here, I know you want one.”

As always the hugs his father gave Tim felt like they both lasted too long and weren’t long enough. His grip was strong, if shaky from the caffeine, like he was afraid to let him go, but knew he had too. Eventually, his father did and gave Tim an awkward smile. “See you tonight kiddo.”

“Yeah, see ya.”

Tim watched as Harry stepped out of the apartment and shut the door, Pikachu waving goodbye to him. He then went back into the kitchen, where Lucy was looking at her pokegear. She looked at him, a grin on her face. “I got it!”

“Got it?” He repeated as she got to her feet.

“Two words; Local Breeder’s Pokemon Showcase!” Tim opened his mouth, then closed it when she kept talking. “Every year, around this time, pokemon breeders in town show off baby pokemon for people to play with. Usually, it’s for children, but sometimes newcomers to the city go to them. It’s the perfect place to start looking for your partner pokemon!”

Somehow Tim doubted that, but Lucy’s enthusiasm as contagious and her optimism curbed his more cynical outlook. “Sure, when is it?”

“In one hour!” Lucy said. “And there’s not just the showcase. There’s shelters all over the city with pokemon just begging to be adopted.”

“Psyduck!”

“Like Psyduck.” Lucy gave her psyduck a proud look as Tim rose an eyebrow to it. “There’s also the general pokemon center, and there’s, of course, the wild pokemon that hand out at-”

“Let’s focus on one thing at a time.” Tim stopped her before she could list every single place they could possibly go to find him a potential pokemon partner. “The showcase. We can take the train to the park. So let’s go.”

“Yes!” Lucy said, grabbing Tim by the arm. “I swear by the end of the day I’ll find you the perfect partner pokemon.”

Tim yelped as Lucy dragged him out of the apartment, barely able to get his keys and lock the door.

* * *

The showcase, just as Lucy had said, was filled with kids, adults, and a lot of baby pokemon. The pokemon were split by type and in large play areas so they could run around and play either with each other, or people who climbed into the pens. Tim looked around, seeing all the pokemon the various breeders around the city had brought. Ryme City was always packed with pokemon, but the sight of so many in such a small area just made it more obvious how much the idea of humans and pokemon being together was integrated into the city.

Ryme City had a large population of growlithe, aipom, squirtle, charmander, and panchem, with the occasional bulbasaur and purrloin. So he was not surprised to see those were the majority present. He was pretty sure he saw an igglybuff in the corner but it was occupied with who was hugging it in his sleep. Tim already knew a pokemon that sang people to sleep was the last type he wanted.

He looked at Lucy. "So...where first?" He asked. Lucy shrugged, then looked over to one of the breeders talking to some parents and their child.

"I have a soft news story to work on." She said. Tim gave her a stern look. Now was not the time to abandon him. "Don't worry, it'll be fine. I'll be right back. You enjoy the pokemon."

Tim stared at her and sighed as she walked over to the pokemon breeders and shook their hands.  So much for helping. He turned his attention back to the various penned up areas and decided to start at the one closest. There were several kids already playing with pokemon. He knelt down and watched as some baby Aipom climbed in the trees the tent was built around and kids ran over to those trees, holding their arms up trying to get the pokemon to come down.

He was not going within ten feet of an Aipom. If one swung over to him, he was going the other way.

He then heard a small mew and saw a meowth staring at him. He could not help but notice it had a unique bluish-gray hue to its fur. If he remembered right, that meant it had a parent from Alola. "H-hey little guy." He said. Alolan meowth was naturally more fickle than the average meowth, which were already fickle to begin with. He wasn't sure if he wanted such an unpredictable pokemon to be his partner.

The meowth kept staring at him, its large eyes making Tim's lips twitch into a smile. The pokemon was cute and he reached his hand out to it. Then just as his fingers were about to touch meowth’s fur, it’s back arched and it hissed. "Whoa!" Tim pulled his hand back when the meowth swatted him, claws leaving a light mark on his fingers. "What's your problem?"

The meowth let out several angry cries before turning and running off to play with the other pokemon. Tim watched it leave and dropped his arm, trying to ignore the feeling of defeat swelling in his chest. It was probably for the best. Again, meowth was fickle. And shed too much fur. He saw at the edge of the pen for a few more minutes then got up and moved onto the next area.

The growlithe were friendly and liked having their head's pet, but the presence of some RCPD officers talking to who he guessed was the woman caring for them, told him they would not be available. A bulbasaur came up to him, chirped and let him scratch its ears before being distracted by a toy and running off. In another area, squirtle swam in a small pool to keep from drying out. One teased him by blowing bubbles at him before squirting him in the face with a jet of water. He stumbled back and shook his head looking down at his soaked clothes. He looked up at the squirtle, who he was convinced was laughing at him, then walked away. Once back in the sun, he took a seat on the grass and watched as that same squirtle blew bubbles for kids and teens to play with.

He was pretty sure at some point that would have been him. Definitely when he was younger. Probably before his mom died and his family became separated for ten years. He loved playing with pokemon as a kid. It was easy to just look at them and think that was the pokemon you wanted to have for the rest of your life. Now there were other things to think about like their size and possible evolutions and space because he was already living with another person and their pokemon. He doubted his dad cared what he came home with long as it got along with Pikachu. But what if it didn't?

"Hey. Any luck?" Lucy's voice broke him out of his thoughts. Psyduck was as always behind her, looking mildly stressed from the crowd. She took one look at him, "That's a face that says no."

"That obvious?" He sighed as he got back to his feet. "Starting to think this was a mistake."

"Did you try the charmander?" Tim looked over as she pointed over to it and then shook his head.

"Kinda don't want to get literal burns on top of the metaphorical ones." He told. "Plus flaming tails, breathing fire. Dad's office being a fire hazard 24-hours a day almost seven days a week-"

Lucy rolled her eyes and grabbed Tim's arm, making him yelp as he was dragged over to the charmander pen. She pushed him in front and he glared at her, to which she glared at him and pointed at the charmander. Psyduck mimicked her gesture. "Alright, alright."

He climbed into the pen and walked over. The many charmander took one look at him, cried out, and ran off. Tim stared at them in disbelief then turned to Lucy and Psyduck, holding his arms up and letting them drop to his side. He saw Lucy lean over and give him a sympathetic smile, before gesturing to him to come back over.

* * *

The cafe near the park was becoming one of his favorites to have lunch at, but as he stared at the coffee and sandwich in front of him, Tim found himself lacking an appetite. "Tim," Lucy said after swallowing a bit of her sandwich and seeing he hadn't touched his. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Nothing." He said, maybe a little too quick as he felt Psyduck pinch him. "Ow."

"Psyduck! Psy-duck."

"He knows you’re lying," Lucy told him. Tim glowered at the yellow feathery pokemon before turning his attention back to Lucy. "Okay, so this little venture didn’t work out, but there’s plenty of other places we can go to. The Pokemon Center has a great shelter that-"

"Lucy." Tim cut her off. "I’m happy you’re going all out for this but… I don’t know. Maybe this whole partner thing, maybe I'm not cut out for it."

Lucy took a sip of her coffee as she contemplated Tim’s words. She then took a berry from Psyduck’s snack bowl and flicked it at his head. “Ow!”

“I’m going to do that every time you doubt yourself.” She told him. Tim opened his mouth to say something but seeing her reach for another berry stopped. He leaned back in his chair as Lucy took a bite of her sandwich and waited until she swallowed and continued to speak. “I know this is difficult, and you're having some trouble, but that doesn't mean we can't find you a pokemon. You did so well with Pikachu, there’s bound to be another out there that’ll click."

Tim still hadn’t brought up the fact he got along with Pikachu so well because Pikachu had been his dad’s soul in his pokemon’s body. "Pikachu is a great pokemon, honestly he's one of my favorites, but I’m pretty sure I handle him because dad did such a good job training him.”

"Maybe get a pikachu of your own then?"

He shook his head. "Ones energetic enough, I don't know if dad would like another in the apartment." Lucy stared at him, then without prompting flicked the better at Tim’s head.

"Tim, maybe I'm out of line saying this but I don't think your dad cares what pokemon you end up with as long as you're happy with it."

Tim gave her a half smile. "Maybe. I just, I just think there’s a lot of things I need to consider. Size, poke food, cost, nature- put that down!" Lucy dropped the berry she had picked up back into Psyduck’s tray. Tim sighed, “I think I’m starting to get why we signed up for the league and got our partners when we were kids. All that mattered was how cool or cute they were.”

“Yeah. Sometimes.” Lucy said. The two fell silent and Tim watched as Lucy’s Psyduck pointed to her sandwich and mumbled, then the girl grinned and peeled a piece of bread lightly covered in mayonnaise off and give it to him. It was a simple gesture, one that made Psyduck smile and Tim see how close the two were. Lucy’s hand was calm and steady as Psyduck eagerly grabbed the food and began nibbling on it. Tim noticed for the first time the two had almost matching smiles. As matching as a human and a pokemon could at least.

Just like his father and Pikachu.

"How'd you get paired with him?" Tim asked, getting her attention "You don't see a lot going for Psyduck. They’re usually hard to handle, right? Cause of their headaches."

"Psyduck?" The pokemon tilted it’s head, closing its eyes as Lucy stroked the feathers on its head.

"It’s a long story, but the short of it is, we just understood each other," Lucy said. A small sad smile crossed her face. "I was a lonely kid growing up. That probably leaves me ripe for cubone as a partner, but I never really showed that I was sad. I just kept pushing myself to be better and better at everything. It caused me a lot of stress...a lot of headaches.” She gave Tim a wry smile.

“Psyduck was really the first one to really understand me. He’d follow me around, we’d do stuff together. A lot of the time when Psyduck gets headaches it’s cause I’m starting to stress myself out just as much as he’s getting stressed. Just like I help keep him calm, he taught me how to keep calm under pressure.”

“Psyduck.” Psyduck’s affirming statement made Lucy chuckle as he ripped off another piece of bread and gave it to him.

“That’s it really,” Lucy said. Tim nodded, “I’m sure your dad has a similar story.”

“Who knows.” Tim readjusted himself in the chair. “I did ask dad about Pikachu a few days ago. He didn’t have one before he moved to Ryme City so I was wondering how he got it. You don't really think Pikachu when you're a detective.”

He paused and saw Lucy lean in a little, which told him she was seriously listening. “He told me it wasn’t supposed to be his. That it was going to go to someone else but ‘things happened.’”

“Things happened,” Lucy repeated.

“He didn’t say anything else. I don’t think he wanted to because, well…” Tim trailed off and let out a heavy breath, “He didn’t need to. I get it.”

Lucy did not push the comment. Thinking over Tim's quote as well as he offhandedly mentioned Pikachu being his favorite as a kid said more than enough. So he watched as Lucy took another bite of her sandwich, and then looked down at his untouched lunch, his thoughts swirling with how things could have been different for a brief moment before making himself stop. It was all in the past, he needed to focus on what was in front of him now.

“Tim.” Lucy said, “Everyone ends up with a partner for different reasons, but in the end, it’s not about meeting certain requirements on a checklist or anything like that. It’s about what’s in your heart. You just feel it.”

He nodded. Just feel it. He laughed, “Right in the jellies, right?”

“Please tell me that’s what your dad says because that’s lame even for you.” Lucy’s bluntness made him laugh harder and she clapped her hands together. “Okay, so the showcase was a bust so onto our next destination. If you want to." She waited in anticipation, and Tim eventually nodded getting her to grin. "So, the PokeCenter shelter is a pretty okay start, but it's more the same of what we just saw. If you want to try somewhere a bit more unique, I say go to Region Free."

"Weird name," Tim said. Lucy smiled.

"It’s a very open shelter. A lot of pokemon that are housed in it are either uncommon or not from the region.” Lucy said. "Some of them were brought in because they got separated from their trainers, and others were just abandoned. Wanna try it?"

Tim nodded, then looked down at his sandwich. “Can I eat first?” He asked.

Lucy ordered herself a smoothie to share with Psyduck while Tim finished his sandwich.

* * *

He wasn't sure what to expect from a pokemon shelter, but it was certainly louder than he expected it to be. He opened the door to Region Free and was greeted with a bombardment of howls and cries from the various pokemon. Tim looked around, unsure of where to start.

"Hello?" He called and saw someone turn a corner.

"Oh! Just one moment!" The woman had bright pink hair and was carrying a stack of papers which she unceremoniously dropped on her desk before hurrying over. Her hands were clasped together and a wide smile was on her face. "Welcome to Region Free where we care for all pokemon from all over the world. What can I help you with today?"

"Uh, I was…" Tim started then stopped as Psyduck whined and Lucy knelt down and put her hands to its head.

"Shhhh, it's okay."

"Oh dear…" the woman said a sad look on her face, before looking surprised when Lucy held up a hand.

"No! It's not what you think. We just need a little quiet." Lucy said, kneeling down as she muttered calming words to Psyduck. "Is there a guest room I could take him too."

The woman looked relieved, "yes this way." She looked at Tim, "I'll be with you in a moment. Please feel free to look around. Most of the pokemon will be happy to see you!"

"Y-yeah sure. No problem.” Tim moved out of the way as the caretaker took Lucy and Psyduck to another room and looked around. The atmosphere of the shelter was a lot different from the showcase at the park. Less staged, more organic. The pokemon all looked excited, some louder than others. Tim approached one of the pens to see a Cyndaquil crawl forward and poke its head through the cage, chirping like it wanted to be pet. Tim put his hand on it, listening to it hum before continuing to look around.

Houndour, shinx, and zigzagoon were in one part of the shelter. Shellos - both variants - ekans, and wurple and it’s evolutions were in another. He saw some mareep sleeping under some warm light, an ampharos nearby watching them. Some looked happy to see him, others were watching with more weary eyes. Some looked well taken care of and perfectly healthy, a few had scars or a cut on the ear that made Tim guess at some kind of mistreatment.

He looked at a few more pokemon and stopped in his steps. The multiple pokemon was overwhelming. Where was he supposed to start? Several of the pokemon could fit okay in their apartment, but there was the matter of if they would get along with Pikachu and of course his father’s borderline nonexistent sleep schedule. He stopped himself at the thought and remembered what Lucy had told him.

It was not about math or making a checklist. He just needed to relax and let his gut tell him what was right and what wasn’t. He looked around again and stopped when he saw a Cubone in the pen, wiping its eyes. He knelt down and looked at it.

“Hey, little guy. Bad day?” He said. The Cubone glared at him and growled and he immediately got to his feet and moved as far away from it as possible. “Think I'll just leave you alone…”

It was safe to say he and Cubone were destined to never get along. He jumped when his foot hit another pen and he almost stumbled, then turned around. He found himself staring at a pair of beady black eyes, attached to a furry bright yellow head. He recognized it almost immediately. It was the baby form of a pokemon that he was more than familiar with.

"You're a pichu." Saying its name made it tilt its head.

"Pichu?" Its voice was high pitched, even a little squeaky, which made Tim guess that it was very young. He knelt down and the pichu jumped and took a few nervous steps back, watching him with big eyes.

“Hey, it’s alright, come here,” Tim said. The pichu stayed still, staring at him, watching if he would make any movements. Tim watched it, contemplating his options. Then, almost without thinking he stuck his hand out and waited. The pichu’s ears twitched and it was at that point Tim noticed it’s left ear was smaller than the right and looked like it had been cut clean diagonally with something.

He wondered for a moment what could have happened to it. “Looks like you’ve had it a bit rough huh.” He said. The pichu kept staring at him, then took a few cautious steps forward before closing the gap between them. It approached the front of the pen and after looking over and sniffing his hand, wrapped his small paws around his fingers. Tim immediately felt the static coming off of its body. He should not have been surprised - pichu were recorded as having trouble controlling their electricity, but reading about it and experiencing that feeling were two different things. He felt the hairs on his arms and the back of his neck stand on end, and if his hair was longer it’d probably poof out.

“Pichu…” The small pokemon hummed as it sniffed his fingers. Then without warning, it bit one of them.

“Ow.” He winced and the pichu looked up.

"Pi?".

Tim had to resist the urge to pull his hand away. To his relief, the bite was shallow and did not break any skin. Did all of Pikachu's evolutionary line like nipping people or was he just unlucky? He tried to remember if he ever saw Pikachu nibble on his father but found himself distracted by the pichu sitting down and rubbing its face against his hand.

Wow, it was cute. The thought came to Tim’s mind before he could stop it.

"There you are." Tim looked over to see Lucy and the woman working the shelter come over. Psyduck was behind Lucy, looking a bit calmer while at the same time also looking like he wanted to be somewhere else.

"Did you find one you like?" The woman asked. Tim looked at the Pichu. No, he didn't, because Pikachu was energetic enough, pichu was like a pikachu after drinking a triple shot espresso - which was a mental image he did not want to entertain because he was seriously getting sick and tired of comparing everything that was hyperactive to coffee. He shook that thought from his head. He really should just say no, get up, and walk away.

He should say no. He really should say no.

He took one look at the pichu’s beady eyes and mentally cursed himself. "Can I see this one?"

"Pichu!" The pokemon cried out. Its cry was adorable if Tim were honest with himself, he felt a lot of his worries going the wayside in its presence. The woman grinned and put on a pair of gloves, before picking the pichu up and carefully handing it to him. The pichu let out a noise as it suddenly found itself higher up then it wanted to be and became fitful. “Hey. Easy there, I got you.” Tim cupped the small pokemon in his hands and slowly but surely it settled. He heard it hum and chirp a little nervous, and he twitched as he felt the electricity on it prickle his skin, but it settled into his grasp and put its paws on his shirt. Knowing it was secure he lifted it up and got himself back to his feet.

“Aww, it's adorable,” Lucy said when Tim turned to her holding it. “So, what do you think?”

“Uh…” Tim started, not sure how to answer. The caretaker was smiling, impressed.

“You’re holding him right, that’s impressive.”

“W-well my dad has a pikachu-”

“Ah so like father like son?”

Like father like son. He was not sure if that was the most accurate take, but he looked at the pichu who was busy wiping its face on his shirt, and then looked up at him. Blue lines of static emitted off its face which Tim should have been concerned about but found himself staring at the baby pokemon's bright eyes. It was smiling at him.

Tim looked at Lucy when she stepped closer, then back at Pichu who babbled as she said hi to it.

Just go with his gut right?

* * *

“This is a terrible idea.”

“But you like her.”

“Lucy I can’t take care of a pichu.”

Tim's panicked declaration had the pichu in question looking up at him with confusion. Lucy, however, rolled her eyes. “Tim, you signed the paperwork, stuck around while Ms. Joy got a cage, and chased the little girl around before giving up and just carrying her home." The girl grinned and held up a thick plastic bag. "And now we're climbing up to the second floor of your apartment building. And I’m carrying the bag with Pichu’s things because your hands are full.”

Tim stopped on the steps and glared at Lucy and her Psyduck. “Do you have to say it like that?” He asked “I mean, I think, I get that ‘feel it in your gut’ thing. But-”

“Pichu?” Pichu looked up at him, confused, and clinging a little tighter to his jacket. Tim looked at the small thing and let himself smile.

“Hey, it's alright. What's wrong?" He asked. Pichu cooed and leaned her head against Tim’s chest, bits of electricity coming off it.

"She can sense you're doubting yourself," Lucy told him. Tim looked at her and then down at Psyduck, who was nodding.

He readjusted Pichu in his arms and walked the hall to his door. He fumbled for his key, unlocked the door and stepped inside. The apartment was quiet, but he noticed his father’s jacket hanging in its usual spot. He closed the door quietly and crossed the hall, stopping in front of his father’s half-closed door. He peered in to see his father sound asleep, half under some blankets. A small smile crossed Tim's face as he looked at Lucy.

"Dad's home." He didn’t see Pikachu anywhere, but the pokemon knew when his father was sleeping to keep quiet unless it was something important. He could get Pichu settled in and when his father got up, introduce the two. He hoped his father liked Pichu. He also hoped his father didn't mind him suddenly bringing home a pokemon.

Lucy tapping on his shoulder distracted him from his thoughts, “You gonna say something or?” She asked. Tim shook his head.

“Later. Let’s get this stuff into my room.” He walked down to his room and stopped short when a small ball hit his foot. He looked over where it came from and to see Pikachu skid to a stop and look up at him with a smile.

“Pikachu!” He chirped, then blinked, eyes widening a little, and he put his hands over his mouth and repeated a little quieter. “Pikachu.”

Tim smiled and moved the ball over to Pikachu, who grabbed it and began sniffing it as he knelt down and brought a hand to his head. “Hey, have a good day today?”

“Pi. Pika.” Pikachu hummed, ear twitching in delight at the pets. He shook his head when Tim stopped and his eyes fell on the smaller pokemon in Tim’s arms. He hopped a little forward, sniffing the Pichu and chirped. “Pikachu!”

“Pichu!” Pichu’s eyes were wide as it looked at Pikachu, then at Tim.

“This is my dad’s pokemon. Say hi Pichu.” He watched as Pichu looked back at Pikachu and reached out for the older pokemon. Tim placed him on the floor and watched as Pikachu sniffed Pichu’s fur and then pulled her into a hug. Psyduck then came over and pulled them both into his arms. The scene made him smile and he got up and out of the way so Lucy could put the plastic bag on the bed.

“You think you’re gonna be good from here?” She asked as Tim opened the bag. It contained some pokemon food and a small pouch of berries, bedding that would never be used since Tim knew the small pokemon would end up taking over the bed, and a few small toys.

This was happening, it was really happening. He had his own partner pokemon that he needed to take care of and the thought was both amazing and horrifying. “Yeah, I think I’m good.” He said, his voice pitching up which led to him clearing his throat as Lucy shook her head. “Uh, thanks for dragging me out for this. It was, uh, fun. It was fun.”

“Fun.” She said. He nodded, “Even the part where you were soaked by baby squirtle?”

“Okay, that was not fun.” He chuckled. “But, I did have a good time. I think.”

“Successful day overall.” Lucy was beaming as she gave Tim a light punch in the shoulder. “I told you by the end of the day I’d find you a pokemon.”

“Technically I found her. Not you.” Tim said. Lucy rolled her eyes and looked at Psyduck who had put Pikachu and Pichu down, the latter frowning from being unpleasantly squished between the two of them. Pikachu then put his paw on Pichu’ head, patting him.

“Pika.”

“Pichu! Pichu!” Pichu cried out pushing Pikachu’s paw off him. Pikachu grumbled then, ears twitched, and he ran out of the room. Pichu chased after him down the hall. Tim and Lucy looked at each other and Tim hurried out of his room just in time to see the two break into his father’s room. He heard Pikachu crying out, Pichu cheering loudly, and then his father’s strange mix of a groan and a yelp as he was rudely woken up. Tim shook his head and walked over to the door.

“Pika pikachu!” Pikachu was climbing all over his father who looked liked even more disheveled than usual, his hair standing up like Pikachu shocked him.

“Pika pika to you too.” He grumbled, yawning and rubbing his eyes, then looking down and noticing Pikachu was not the only one crawling all over him. “Oh. Hello there.” Pichu turned to Tim and got off the bed, hurrying over to him. Tim watched the small pokemon hide behind his legs, gripping his pants with his paws before looking up at his dad.

“Uh, hey dad. You sleep well?” He asked an uneasy laugh. “Sorry, I didn’t think they’d run in here.”

“...It’s fine. I’ve been...” He rubbed his eyes and looked at the time, then reached for his glasses and put them on. “Oh. Did I forget to set the alarm?” His tired mumbling had Tim waiting until his father looked back at him, then down at the small pokemon clinging to his leg. “Tim, why is there a pichu hiding behind you?”

Tim looked down at Pichu again and smiled. “Yeah about that… “

* * *

Pichu’s eyes followed the berry Harry was holding between his fingers, moving left, then right, up, down. The small pokemon reached it’s hand out and the older man moved it just out of reach getting the pokemon to pout and protest. “Piiichu!”

“Alright, here.” There was a laugh in Harry’s voice as he put the berry in front of Pichu’s face. The pokemon took it and began munching on the berry, a bit of juice getting on its face. Harry grinned at the sight, "You're so cute! And messy. Come here.”

Tim and Lucy watched as Harry grabbed a napkin and tried wiping Pichu’s face. The small pokemon protested the touch, its cheeks lighting up as it let out a small surge. Harry recoiled back and Pichu stumbled, whining in pain before shaking itself out of its daze. It then went back to eating its berry, Harry smiling as he watched it. Tim and Lucy were watching while Tim finished pouring tea into some cups, the young woman shaking her head, a grin on her face.  “He’s such a dad,” Lucy whispered, Psyduck chuckling as Pikachu huffed.

“Hey, I heard that. And you can't blame me, this little one's adorable.” Harry told them, stroking Pichu's fur with his finger. Tim walked over to the kitchen table and put the warm cup down in front of his dad, who looked at it.

“I know you said coffee, but I think you’ve had enough.” The look of disappointment on his father’s face was obvious, but he took the drink anyway and took a small sip.

“Taste a slight bit of peach.” He said, impressed with the flavor. Pikachu climbed off his chair and onto the table and Harry lifted the cup to his pokemon. “You wanna try? Careful, it’s hot.” Pikachu sniffed the drink and shook his head before grabbing one of the berries in Pichu’s tray for himself. Psyduck meanwhile, pulled on Lucy’s pant leg, grumbling and holding his hands up to his head.

“Alright.” She said and looked at Tim. “It’s getting a little too exciting for Psyduck and I have articles to write up for work.”

“Okay.” Tim excused himself, leaving his father with Pichu and Pikachu as he walked Lucy and her Psyduck to the door of the apartment. “Uh, you gonna be free after work tomorrow? Maybe we can hang out or something.”

“Your hands are gonna be full with your new partner,” Lucy told him. She wasn’t wrong. “But hey you need any help, let me know, okay?”

“Y-yeah. I will.” He said.

Once Lucy had left and Tim locked the door he stepped back into the kitchen to see Harry gently running his index and middle fingers through Pichu’s fur. That smile he had on early was replaced with contemplation. “Well aren’t you a gentle... fella? Lady?” He looked at Tim, “Are they a boy or a girl?”

“She’s a girl dad.”

“Ah, a gentle lady then.” He looked at Pikachu, “Don’t get any ideas big guy.”

“Pika?” Pikachu’s head tilted with confusion as Tim rolled his eyes.

“Still got no chill.”

“Still no idea what that means,” Harry said, then yawned and took another sip yawned as he continued to scratch small Pichu’s fur, eyes moving up to her ear. “That looks like it may have hurt one time. Poor thing didn’t have the best partner I take it.”

“The caretaker at the shelter said she came in like that.”

“Not surprised by that. Not every pokemon I track down is in the best shape. Whoever found this one...probably wishes they found the poor thing sooner.” Pichu hummed, little blue sparks of electricity coming off its small cheeks, oblivious to Harry's observations. Harry pulled his hand away and Pichu chirped then hurried across the table to Tim, who scooped the small critter up and into his arms. “Well Tim, you’ve found yourself a handful of a pokemon.”

“Yeah, I know.” Tim said, “But I’ve handled Pikachu okay and Pichu will fit in here fine.”

“I’m going to get you some rubber gloves. Trust me, those will come in handy during the first few months your raising that little girl.

Tim nodded. He had a feeling that would be the case after his father told him some stories of the early years of raising Pikachu. Harry then got to his feet, “But first, this calls for a celebration. My son finally has a pokemon! A cute one too! We’re going out to eat for dinner. My treat.”

Dinner was always his dad’s treat, but the offer still made Tim happy. “You sure?”

“Yeah. What are you feeling?” He asked then went quiet for a moment before saying, “I better call Hideo and tell him I need to take tomorrow off.”

Tim opened his mouth to tell his father he didn’t have to, but the man was already going about it and if he were to be honest with himself Tim did not mind having a day with his dad to get some help with Pichu. He looked back down at the pokemon and then at Pikachu who’s ears twitched and chirped with delight. Pichu then chirped after, and he watched as the two seemed to start having an animated conversation.

He was making the right choice. His father and his partner pokemon approved and he could tell in his gut this was right for him.

Ryme City was slowly but surely beginning to feel more like home.

**Author's Note:**

> As with anything I do, additional fixes will be made at a later date (specifically when I can afford to look at this thing again).


End file.
